Reply #174: If the stats I found for NYC go across the river [View All]

then median household income where you live is $40,000. So you make 2.5 times as much as 50% of your neighbors. How can that not be at least upper middle class? I would love to see the numbers on your expenses because it is mind boggling that you have little discretionary income. I would also love to see the housing market there. I am guessing that there are lower cost neighborhoods, but people with higher incomes do not want to live there. Possibly I cannot blame them. I looked at some $15,000 houses when I was house hunting, but there was no way I was gonna live in one of those neighborhoods, but it is nice to make enough money to have that choice.
Since college, however, I have never considered a car a 'mandatory' comfort. I only bought one in 1996 because I wanted to 'move up' in the world.